Thursday, December 15, 2011

Starting a novel can be intimidating. Finishing even
more so. It is my hope that this series will help other soon-to-be or wanna-be
writers find a place to begin a novel and better yet, empower them to finish.
Here you will find all the advice I wish someone would have given me when I
first started writing fiction.

Oh, man! I’ve been gone from my blog for so long. I’m sorry!
Life gets crazy for us all and mine is no exception. But continuing on with my
Baby Steps of Writing, I’m discussing elements of openings.

Openings must set the mood, introduce a dynamic character, and
compel the reader forward with tension. Most of all, the opening of a book
should force the reader to care. Emotional investment is the reason to keep
reading, to buy the book, to tell your friends they just have to read this one. It can also be called the so-what of the story.

My favorite way to do this (and the technique I strongly
recommend using) is The Line in the Sand

The line in the sand is when we as writers state the book’s
purpose which will be established through out the tale. This is either an idea
that will be overturned or the driving force where the character’s actions are
fostered. A line in the sand is different from the theme because the line is a belief
statement. It can be the theme, but more like the expectation we try to set for
the reader in a flashing neon sign. Often it carries an undertone just like a
theme would, though. We smell and taste trouble. We flat-out tell the reader what
they’ve gotten themselves into and then set up the rest of the story to either
refute or reinforce the statement we’ve made.

Here’s an example of an opening line from The Help: “Taking
care of white babies, that’s what I do, along with all the cooking and the
cleaning. I done raised seventeen kids in my lifetime.” Abileen is going to
decide if taking care of white ladies’ households is what she can or will
continue to do once things get out of hand.

The famous lines from Pride and Prejudice: “It is a
truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
fortune, must be in want of a wife.” We automatically ask, “Is this true in
Regency England?” And the characters are going to prove or disprove this
statement about single, wealthy men.

Moby Dick: “Call me Ishmael.” That name has so much baggage!
We automatically know the character likely will too. In The Bible, Ishmael was
cast out of his father’s landholdings once the favored son, Isaac, was born.
Ishmael is telling us he is a castaway, a nomad, and we can safely bet he sees
himself as second best. He might even have a cheeky chip on his shoulder.

Here’s one from
my own work in progress: “Right
now I have only to save myself.” The main character is going to have to decide
if that is true, if she can live with herself by only saving her own skin and
no one else’s.

Anyway, that is the Line in the Sand. What do you think?

Could you work
one into your own story?

Do you want to?

So what are everyone’s plans for the holidays? I’m hoping mine
will be quiet enough to let me work on my blog, my writing, and my Super-Secret
Project.*grins*